Back in the early 1970s, the plan was to have [a high-level waste] repository in operation in early 1976. The date moved to 1985, then slipped to the period 1988-1993. Some 13 years ago, in a June 1978 editorial, we predicted that the delays would get worse. In that 1978 column, we presented an imaginary Washington, D.C., press conference that went as follows: "A majority of the technical experts believe that high-level nuclear wastes can be safely disposed in geologic media, but, for reasons detailed in the report released here today, the earliest date of operation for the first permanent repository is now projected to be the year 2000, with more likely dates being 2005 or 2010. Now, if there are any questions ..." The real world, then, has caught up with our 1978 prediction. We claim no special powers of prediction, however, since it is all too easy to predict-and be correct-that there will be delays in building radioactive waste repositories.
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